Robert Charlebois
French singer Alain Bashung said he was one of the first to introduce an ironical touch to Quebecois chanson, set to tunes of rock, blues and country. In a career spanning more than 60 years, Robert Charlebois, songwriter, musician and performer, has become an essential figure in chanson, not only in Quebec, but throughout the French-speaking world.
The man affectionately known as Garou was born in Montreal on June 25, 1944. He made his stage debut in September 1962 – not yet 20 – when he opened for Félix Leclerc at La Butte à Mathieu. In 1965, his song La Boulée, composed at the age of 16, won him the Grand Prix du Festival du disque.